2018 Mazda 6 - The Turbo Lands at Last
Mazda had already promised a turbocharged four-cylinder would be available on the refreshed 2019 Mazda 6, and the company delivered.
Upper trims gain the 2.5-liter turbo four, while the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter remains on lower grades. Mazda promised an announcement on specs closer to the on-sale date in the spring of 2018.
Mazda may not have listed figures for the 6’s Skyactiv-G 2.5T during the model’s unveiling at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, but the engine makes up to 310 lb-ft of torque and 250 horsepower in the CX-9 crossover.
It’s unclear if there’s any change to the base engine’s power numbers, but Mazda does add cylinder deactivation for the 2018 model year.
If saving the manuals matters to you, be prepared for mixed feelings – you can still get a stick with the base engine, but it appears to be (six-speed) automatic only with the turbo mill.
Mazda made no mention of a diesel, at least not that I heard.
Key standard or available features include LED headlights that integrate fog lamps, a 360-degree camera, a 7.0-inch gauge display, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, heads-up display, cooled front seats, and radar cruise control.
The chassis bracing and body are reinforced, as is the sheetmetal around the rear-wheel wells.
The most noticeable change on the outside is the new grille, and the painted surfaces extend lower on the body. Seventeen- and 19-inch wheels are available.
Changes are more pronounced on the inside, where Mazda claims only the steering wheel and some minor trim pieces carry over.
Snap judgment: This should make for a 6 that offers a little more power – enough to better compete with the Accord and Camry – while continuing to reign as one of the best-looking and better-handling cars in the class. Whether that’s enough for buyers to stop ignoring the 6 remains to be seen.
[Images © 2017 Forest Casey/The Truth About Cars]
Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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I personally wouldn't want the turbo with a manual anyway. Turbos and electronically controlled autos, are a match made in heaven, as each goes some ways towards cowering up the other's inherent suckiness. With a nice, Mazda grade, manual, the most important property of an engine, is responsiveness and precision. Something no turbo can ever hope to match virtually any NA engine at. Heck, I even feel the 2.5 Skyactiv is a bit sluggish, compered to the livelier and revvier, albeit less powerful, 2.0. The latter is the one I would want in a 3. Or even CX5, if it's stil offered. But compared to the dullorama that is a 4cyl "tuned for torque" turbo, the 2.5 in the 6 is still pure bliss when paired with a stick.
"Heck, I even feel the 2.5 Skyactiv is a bit sluggish, compered to the livelier and revvier, albeit less powerful, 2.0." Hey - I like my pre-skyactive 2L better than 2.5L skyactiv. Although, I have to admit, my driving in '17 Mazda6 returns 1.5mpg more than same driving in '11 Mazda3 2L. Also, it is quiet ride in more comfortable seats, and my right knee doesn't constantly rub the trim. But if you asked me, what is the worst part of your car, I would say, the engine [and transmission]. although, I just learned to deal with tranny. I just bypass 5th gear in regular driving. It solves issue of needless shifting of too-closely-spaced-gearbox.